Sunday, March 2, 2014

Between the two sidewalk sales that we recently did. I took a quick road trip to Vegas with Sis and Bonnie-Blue to check out the spring shows. It was great to have help with the massive trade shows going on --- Magic, Pool, Project, and even the WWIN show. There is a ton of product to check out, and it's a great way to see what the coming trends are along with any lines that can add some variety to the ME & Blue boutique. Since opening in 2009, I have focused on having around 90 % of my own ME & Blue designs in the boutique. Recently I've decided to refresh the boutique and to add in some other lines that complement the collection. Out with the old ways, baby!

We woke up early on a Tuesday morning and arrived mid morning to start checking out the shows.

Bonnie-Blue came along and was frequently shouting and waving "Hey Peoples!" at the buyers.

My favorite show is the Pool Tradeshow. It features up and coming and independent designers.

This booth at ENK drew me in with their tie-dyed selections. Bonnie-Blue was getting her ya ya's

out before taking a nice, long nap.

Right before we left, we smiled for the group selfie. Sis, Bonnie-Blue, and me.

2. Map out who you want to see before you start walking the show. I make a beeline for my "must
see" lines, then check out the other vendors along the way.

3. Business Cards. A lot.

4. BYOW - Bring your own water. They have it there, but having your own on hand is faster and
a lot cheaper. I stocked up in LA beforehand, but there is a CVS near the Hard Rock Hotel
where we stocked up after day one.

5. If you want to skip the casinos, I suggest Rumor Boutique Hotel. If you want to party, well... it's
Vegas! There are LOTS of choices.

6. If you are bringing a kid - it's not recommended. But my hubby was out of town, and this was
the best alternative. Be prepared to sign waivers to get them in. WWIN won't let them in at all,
FYI.

7. Another kid tip- stock up before you get to the convention centers. Be armed with your stash of
diapers, wipes, crayons, Kindle (Dora! We love you). And whatever else you need to get your
work done, and your kid taken care of and entertained.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

We had two fun weekends of sidewalk sales to move out all of the samples, vintage, accessories, and goodies that had stockpiled up in the downtown storage unit and the stockroom. Whew. And what fun it was. We sold hundreds of goodies, from $5 to $9, to $19. It felt so good to move them out and give them new homes.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

My idea of cleaning? Throwing things away. That's what my friend, Lorisa says. But in this case, a bit of tossing, a bit of selling samples & old styles to open up space & possibilities for newness. I love working with Sisongfa. Just call her "Sis". She makes me laugh as we work and helped me organize and tidy up the storage space we have downtown. Over the past couple of weeks, we have been tackling a 10 by 10 storage space and reviewing 5 years worth of patterns, samples, and fabric. Toss, keep, toss, revise. Some styles & patterns needed to be completely eliminated. Some... simply updated. And others, to take a rest until the style or trend of the design comes back around. Yesterday we laughed as we transported fabric from my cutter to the storage space. We walked with this big fabric rack a few blocks down Broadway in downtown LA, past the new Ace Hotel, past the new Urban Outfitters, and up a freight elevator to deliver the goodies to storage. Living the glamorous life! XO, M.E.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

What can I say? It's time for a bit of spring cleaning, and we are making room for the new. It's time to refresh & renew. Come on in and check out hundreds (yes, hundreds, we counted them today!) of items. BOGO 1/2 off all sale items. More images & details to come. XO, M.E.

Friday, December 13, 2013

I tend to think, ponder, then... POUNCE. And that I did when I decided to put together a last minute holiday event at the boutique. I know there's a lot going on this time of the year (too much!)... but who can resist a cool DJ, vintage Christmas sweaters, yummy treats, and groovy gifts?

Come on down to the boutique on Saturday, December 14th.

DJ Sleeper lives in the neighborhood, and I can't wait to hear him do some holiday mixed up tunes. Check out this video to get an idea of what he can do. I mean, over 1 million views?!

And Ugly Christmas Sweaters? Really? YES. Check out this commercial and this company that sells a ton of them online even did this funny song. Even my friends who looked appalled when I told them that I was going to do a capsule collection for the boutique are getting excited about wearing one. Seriously wearing one is silly, and wearing one is great way to get into the holiday spirit.

That's me (above). And I love this little gem.

The cardinals remind me of my grandma, and that's a good thing.

And that's Kanya, who works at Big Red Sun. She can actually wear one as a dress!

Plus, I'll be serving my famous hot cider on Saturday (and all season long). I might even spike it for you. And Paige from Flake Restaurant is cooking up some yummy food to keep you going.